Tangled Fates
by doggieearlover
Summary: Orihime find Ichigo alone after a battle.
1. Parts 1 & 2

**Disclaimer: **I don't own any of the characters from Bleach. They belong to their creator Tite Kubo

These were written for the LiveJournal community fanfic_bakeoff. The prompt for March is "tangle" and the requirement is that each drabble be between 100 and 300 words.

**Title: Tangled Fates  
****Word Count**: 300

* * *

**Tangled Fates**

"Kurosaki-kun!" Orihime shouted as she ran towards Ichigo.

"Hey," he greeted her, turning his head towards her from his place flat on his back in the grass. "What are you doing here?"

"I… let me heal you first," she said softly as she knelt down and went to work.

"Thanks, Inoue. That was a tough one." He fell silent.

"Is that why you didn't go on the field trip with the class?" Orihime asked as she healed up the last of his wounds. "You knew the hollow was coming?"

Ichigo answered, "No… I just needed to be alone for awhile so I let everyone at home think I was going and came here. The hollow had other ideas…"

"Oh… I'll go then. I'm almost done."

Orihime gasped when she felt his hand take hers and pull it against his chest. "Inoue… do you regret… do you ever regret…" his voice trailed away.

"What is it, Kurosaki-kun?"

"Do you ever regret that I dragged you into this? That if it weren't for me—"

She placed a finger over his lips. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I just wish I weren't so weak…"

He squeezed her fingers. "You're not weak…you're the strongest of all of us – how many times have you patched us up? We wouldn't last very long without you…"

"I just feel like you always have to save me," Orihime whispered. "I need you more than you need me."

"Inoue, don't you know? When I think I can't go on, you give me strength. When I've fallen, you call me back… but I was worried… it's because of me that our lives have become so tangled together… I was afraid…"

"Don't worry, Kurosaki-kun, I—" She smiled.

He'd fallen asleep.

"Rest. This time I'll watch over you."

* * *

**Tangled Fates Part 2  
****Word count: 299**

'_I wonder… does he feel… could he possibly…'_ she thought. She shook her head to clear it and let her mind wander instead.

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes to see Orihime sitting nearby, watching the clouds roll across the sky. _'She… she's really here.'_ His eyes sprang wide open as he raised his head. _'Oh, shit! Did I say what I was thinking out loud?'_ His head fell back with a thud.

"Are you awake, Kurosaki-kun?" she asked softly as she turned to face him.

"I…" he sat up and rubbed the back of his head. "When did you get here?"

"You don't remember?" she responded. _'He probably doesn't remember any of those things he said.'_ "It was right after your battle with a hollow. You fell asleep while I was healing you."

'_Whew! Maybe I didn't admit any of that stuff… wait…'_ "I..." He ran his hands over his chest. "Thanks for healing me… but why aren't you on the field trip with the others?"

'_I can't tell him I didn't want to go because he wasn't there… that I was worried…'_ She sighed. "I didn't have my permission slip so I couldn't go. I decided to take a walk and ended up here." _'That's not totally a lie – I was following his spiritual pressure.'_

"Yeah… me too. My dad was acting even goofier than usual this morning so I went off without it. I didn't feel like going back so I came here instead," Ichigo said.

They were interrupted by a loud rumble from Orihime's stomach.

"You hungry, Inoue?"

She blushed and nodded.

He pointed towards a tangle of shrubs. "I ditched my body over there. Hold on a sec."

"Okay, Kurosaki-kun."

Ichigo emerged from the bushes. "Ready?"

She nodded. _'Maybe some day, you'll be ready, too.'_


	2. Part 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters of Bleach. They belong to their creator, Tite Kubo

This was written for the LiveJournal community fanfic_bakeoff. The prompt for March is "tangle" and the requirement is that each drabble be between 100 and 300 words.

**Title: Tangled Fates (Part 3)  
****Word Count:** 299  
**Summary**: Yourichi gives Orihime some advice

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**Tangled Fates (Part 3)**

"Hey, Orihime, you seem to be down."

"Hi, Yourichi-san."

"Worried about Ichigo again?"

"I… I don't know how to help him. I always wanted to protect him, but he keeps protecting me instead." Orihime drew her legs up and set her chin on her knees. "Now he's worried about how our lives have become tangled together because he affected all of us unintentionally."

Yourichi responded, "You know Ichigo – he worries about everything." She elbowed Orihime. "I bet I know how you'd _like_ to be tangled with him."

The high school girl gasped. "I…I…"

"It's all right – I think everyone knows how you feel except for Ichigo. But don't worry because he has feelings for you, too."

"I… What?"

"You know, for as tough as he is and as many battles as he's seen, he's still a very innocent boy. I'm pretty certain that the only naked female body he's ever seen is mine."

Orihime's eyes grew wide. "You mean!"

Yourichi laughed. "Not like that! I meant the first time I showed him my real form. You do realize I don't wear clothes as a cat. I was referring to the first time I transformed. I wish you could have seen his face – and him screaming at me to put some clothes on."

Yourichi became more serious. "He doesn't realize he talks in his sleep. When he wasn't fighting battles he was calling your name."

"But I thought Rukia… I mean she changed his world…"

"Have you ever really paid attention to them? They act more like siblings than anything," Yourichi stated. "Just be patient. Ichigo still has some growing up to do. You know girls mature faster than boys, and Ichigo's had to deal with more than is normal. Give him time."

Orihime smiled. "Thanks, Yourichi-san." _'I can wait.'_


End file.
